Organisation
Forest Council
The Forest Council is a body set up by the Government to represent the different uses of forests, and its task is to support the ministry in matters of forest policy that are far-reaching and of fundamental importance. At the same time, the Forest Council acts as a cooperation forum between public administration related to forests and the private sector. The Forest Council monitors and promotes the implementation of the National Forest Strategy and makes proposals for the development of the strategy as a balanced whole. Key decisions related to the strategy are taken in the Forest Council. The Forest Council has 32 members from a wide range of organisations and stakeholders in the sector that use forests.
Working committee
The task of the Forest Council working committee is to prepare the matters to be discussed in the Forest Council and to promote the implementation of its decisions. In addition, the working committee monitors the implementation of the National Forest Strategy, analyses the results, makes proposals on possible changes to the programme’s measures and prepares follow-up reports on the strategy
Networks
The National Forest Strategy will be implemented through key projects. The key projects will increase forest growth, carbon sequestration and wood production, improve the biodiversity of commercial forests and create a competitive operating environment for a renewable and responsible forest-based sector.
In order to promote the implementation of the strategy, networks consisting of experts and stakeholder representatives have been established for the key projects. The networks support the achievement of the strategy’s goals by maintaining the monitoring of the development of the strategy and by participating in the preparation of projects and the concretisation and prioritisation of measures.
The aim of the network is to give concrete expression to means to increase forest carbon sequestration and wood production in a profitable, sustainable and responsible manner. The measures also improve self-sufficiency, security of supply, risk management and the accessibility of forests, creating a basis for the functioning of the timber market, the competitiveness of the forest sector and growth. The task of the network is to draw up a project plan for concrete actions on the theme of forest growth. The key actions focus on forest regeneration, management and resource efficiency.
The aim of the network is to create a basis for a competitive operating environment for a renewable and sustainable forest-based sector, as well as for knowledge-based management and competence development through, for example, geographic data and digitalisation. The task of the network is to give concrete expression to practical measures to improve the accuracy, quality and accessibility of geographic data and to produce tools to forest owners and operators for knowledge-based decision-making.
The aim of the network is to support the preparation of the strategy in matters related to forest biodiversity. Policies related to the use of forests are currently being prepared in several separate national and EU-level processes. In order to clarify the role of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health as part of the package, a cross-cutting review of the policies produced in different processes is needed in the preparation. The aim is to ensure that the policies form a functional, feasible, cost-effective, acceptable and coherent whole. The task of the network is to prepare a project plan.
The aim of the network is to create a basis for a competitive operating environment for a renewable and sustainable forest-based sector through foresight and knowledge-based management. Key measures include developing skills and training as well as securing the availability of skilled labour. In addition, innovative development work and long-term forest research are promoted. The network places importance on multidisciplinary coordination. The task of the network is to make proposals for determining the handprint of the forest-based sector and for ensuring market information, innovative development work and long-term forest research. The network promotes interaction with forest owners and young people. Its tasks also include developing ownership structures, entrepreneurship, financial steering, security of supply and the attractiveness of the sector through national and regional measures.
The network is intended to be a free-form forum where representatives of the administration and stakeholders can discuss international forest processes and help in the preparation of Finland’s positions, as well as support Finland’s opportunities to exert influence. The aim is to secure the operating environment of the forest sector through international cooperation. The task of the network is to help in the implementation of the national forest strategy by increasing international competence, cooperation and influence.